Handle latch for vacuum cleaners



Feb. 3, 1931. s. MEIER HANDLE LATCH FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed June 15, 1929 Ivwentor: Geare (We/er i atented Feb. 3, 1931 1,..Umreo STATES PATENT OFFICE r I GEORGE MEIER, OI BAHWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO THE REGINA CORPORATION,

or mwny,

NEW JERSEY HANDLE FOB VACUUM CLEANERS Application filed June 13,

structions is that disclosed in Letters Patent Number 1,477,243 to Robert Coates in which a latch member is pivoted to the handle and rests by gravity upon the body of the cleaner or projections therefrom, riding back. and

. forth thereon between apertures adapted to be engaged by the hook portion of the latch, while the handle is tilted back and forth in the operation of the cleaner.

Since the casing of the usual vacuum cleaner is subject to a great amount of vibration'during the operation of the motor,

it was found that a latch of the above described type was caused to rattle and otherwise vibrate against the casing a large amount. The pivot connection at the handle was necessarily loose so as to enable the latch to freely move about the pivot for engagement with the apertures in the casing, and

the vibration and rattling of the latch thus went on entirely unrestricted. 7

It is a general object of the present invention-to provide a latch which is positively actuated toward the body of the cleaner at all times. 7

Another object of the invention is the provision of a latch which will not rattle against the casing.

Qther objects of the invention are the pro vision of a latch which will not fail to engage the casing as desired even if used in an unskillful, hurried or jerkyj' manner, and which will so-engage the forward hole that no sudden shock will release it.

Still another object is the provision of a latch which will be automatically locked stantially at right angles therefrom and by 1929. Serial No. 370,680.

against movement beyond the foremost hole in the casing.

These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent upon a study of the drawing when read in connection with the accompanying specification and appended claim.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vacuum cleaner with my improvements embodied thereon.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1.

The vacuum cleaner may be of any conventional type comprising a casing 10 mounted on rear wheels 12 and front wheels 14. It is provided with a nozzle 16 through which a flow of air is induced by means of a suction fan (not shown) and the cleaner may further include any other features and elements commonly found in such devices. A handle 18 is secured in the socket 20a provided at the head, a fork 20 which in turn is pivotally connected with the cleaner for instance by being mounted upon the axle 22 of the rear Wheels 12, the said handle serving as a means whereby the cleaner is moved back and forth over a surface to be cleaned during its operation.

The latch consists of a member 24 pivotally mounted at 26 between the members of the fork 20 so as to extend forwardly and rearwardly thereof, the forward end of said member being fashioned in the shape of a hook 28 and the rear portion thereof being provided with a trip 30 extending submeans of which the latch may readily be shifted to a temporary inoperative position by the foot of the operator. Mounted within the fork 10 at a point above the pivot 26 is a spring 32. The spring is secured to the fork by means of screws or rivets 34 and is so positioned as to press downwardly upon the forward portion of the latch member 2/1. The casing 10 of the cleaner is provided with spaced apertures 36 and 38 located on a line in registry with the path of movement of the latch when the handle 18 is pivotally shifted,

the aperture 38 preferably comprising an apertured bushing set into the body 10 and projecting above the same. The apertures 36 and 38 are provided with flat edges 36a and 38a, res ctively, which are substantially parallel to t e rear axle 22 and on the side of the apertures nearest the rear of the casing as shown in Fig. 2. These fiat edges are therefore so arranged that they will be engaged by the hook 28 of the latch 24 when the hook is allowed to enter the aperture and is then pulled rearwardly. Due to the pr0- vision of such flat edges for engagement with the hook, positive contact is assured even thou h the latch may be slightly out of line and t ere is no tendency for the hook to ride over the aperture and back to the top of the casing as is frequently the case when. a hook is made to engage the rounded or curved I edg iilof an aperture.

e book 28 is adapted to enter the aperture 36 when in upright position, the hook being pressed downwardly by the action of the spring 32 so as to force it to enter the aperture 36. As the handle then tends to fall back into rearward tilted position, the hook 28 engages the fiat edge 36a and the latch is thus enabledto maintain the upright position of the handle. When it is desired to release the handle from this position, the operator moves it sli htly forward, exerting at the same time a ownward pressure upon the trip 30 which swings the member 24 upwardly and lifts hook 28 out of aperture 36. The handle is then moved slightly backward and the trip 30 released whereupon the lower surface of the latch 24 is pressed-downwardly upon the up er surface of the bushing 38 by the action 0 the spring 32, and is free to ride back and forth thereon as the handle 18 and fork 20 are pivotally shifted back and forth with res ect to the body 10 during the oper-' ation o the cleaner. When the handle is tilted rearwardly to the inclined position shown in full in the drawing, the latch will enter the bushing in the aperture 38 as shown, under the pressure of spring 32, the hook 28 engaging the flat edge 38a so that a further downward motion of handle 18 will cause the cleaner to tilt whereby the nozzle will be raised. Thus in the operation of the cleaner, the latch will at all times be pressed firmly against the body of the cleaner, insuring registry of the hook portion 28 with the apertures 38 and 36 when the handle is inclined in 'roper relative position, and insuring a lac of vibration between the body and the latch 24 as the latch is moved to and fro with the shiftingof the handle.

Extending below the socket 20a and intermediate of each member of the fork 20 is a and full positions of the handle in Fig. 1. The dotted position shown in Fig. 1 is substantiall the limit of forward movement of the ban le,.however, for if the handle were pushed forward a greater amount to make the outer end of the hook ride over the forward edge of aperture 36, for example, the

relative angular relation between the handle and latch would become such that the latch would strike the lug and further forward now claim as new and desire to secure by- Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

In a vacuum cleaner havmg spaced apertures formed in its casin a handle pivotally connected to the casing fbr manipulating the same, and a latch pivotally connected to the handle and adapted to ride back and forth over the casing 1n a path in alignment with the aforesaid apertures upon a tilting of the handle, said latch having a hook on one end thereof for engagement with the edges of the apertures, means for retaining said latch in a selected aperture and for resiliently holdmg the same against the casing as it rides back and forth thereupon upon a tilting of the handle, said means comprising a spring engaging the latch and connected to said handle, and further means for limiting the forward movement of the latch beyond the foremost aperture, said further means comprising a lug projecting from said handle adapted to contact with and limit the u per movement of the latch upon a tilting o the handle thereby to limit the forward movement of the latch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my signature.

GEORGE MEIER. 

